State govt responsible for violence: Sachin Pilot

Jaipur, June 19 (UNI) Congress MP Sachin Pilot has blamed the Rajasthan government for the violence during the Gujjar agitation and asked it to stop all acts of vengeance unleashed against the community leaders and members.

Mr Pilot, who represents Dausa in the Lok Sabha -- the epicentre of the week-long Gujjar agitation -- was speaking at a function here to pay tributes to the people who were killed in police firing and caste clashes during the agitation. This was Mr Pilot's first public function after the violent agitation which claimed 25 lives.

''The Gujjar agitation was peaceful but the police action of firing on the crowd vitiated the situation and gave violent turn to the agiation. The state government has to own up the responsibility for the violence and loss of life,'' he said.

He alleged that the state government has unleashed a reign of terror on the Gujjar community and innocent people were being harassed with hoisting criminal cases on them and promised all co-operation in their fight for justice.

Speaking on the occasion, former MP Rama Pilot appealed to the people to remain united in their fight for reservation under the Scheduled Tribe category.

They also gave away compensation to the families of the people killed and injured during the agitation.

UNI